North Korea conducted a failed missile test Wednesday morning, American and South Korean sources reported.
The test was conducted from an air base in Wonsan, a North Korean port city on the Sea of Japan. Commander David Benham, spokesman for the United States Pacific Command, released a statement claiming the missile "appears to have exploded within seconds of launch."
The launch is the latest in a series of several this month. It comes on the heels of increased international diplomatic and military scrutiny in the region. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has indicated a tougher line on the rogue nation, and the United States has begun the rollout of a powerful anti-missile system in South Korea.
Anxieties run high in the wake of revelations of Obama-era cyber operations against North Korea and increased diplomatic pressure on China, its main ally, to step back support for the dictatorship.